Home to some of the country’s most prestigious universities, Cambridge has always been known as a hotbed of intellectual and cultural sophistication. However, if you look beyond the MIT buildings that surround Cambridge Center, you’ll find some quaint side streets filled with character, unpretentious fun, and delicious restaurants from some of the city’s top chefs. Here’s your guide to a relaxed date night around Kendall Square.
Thrift Like a Pro at The Garment District (200 Broadway)
If you’re feeling bold, sift through the “by the pound” area—you’ll be able to tell a lot about your date depending on what they pick out. You can either stay downstairs and search for next year’s Halloween costumes or head upstairs to my personal favorite area: all the way in the back, where you’ll find racks of amazing '70s and '80s couture.
Share a Pie at Emma’s Pizza (40 Hampshire St.)
After your adventure at The Garment District, step around the corner for a romantic table for two at Emma’s Pizza. The only hard part will be settling on toppings for your custom pie: choose from gourmet options such as thyme-roasted mushrooms and roasted sweet potatoes, or keep it simple with some sweet italian sausage. I love grabbing a cold beer and sitting down at the mismatched chairs—sometimes the most romantic spots are the most understated.
Shots and Shuffleboard at State Park (1 Kendall Square)
Come for a game of shuffleboard and stay for the bourbon and barbecue. This recently opened Kendall Square “dive bar” is the little sister to Cambridge’s beloved Hungry Mother, which features more upscale southern dining. The ambiance at State Park is moody and dark—perfect for drinking enjoying an after-dinner cocktail (or two).
Cozy Up for a Flick at Kendall Square Cinema (1 Kendall Square)
Going to the movies is one of my favorite pastimes. It can feel so indulgent if you do it right. Don’t come for the latest blockbuster hit—Kendall Square Cinema is known for showcasing smaller indie flicks. The theater is small and intimate, perfect for cozying up with a bag of freshly popped popcorn (topped with real butter!).
Be sure to check Groupon first for more shopping, date-night restaurants, and things to do in Boston.
Photos by Natalie Chassaigne Kurtzman
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Nightlife in Weston
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Select Local Merchants
Phantom Gourmet describes Tempo’s cuisine as “simultaneously upscale and down to earth,” and that’s just about right. Chef Nathan Sigel has no problem featuring cheesesteak rolls on the same menu as a coffee-rubbed rib-eye steak, and his regulars love him for it. The bar’s mixologists infuse their spirits with fruit to complement Sigel’s entrees.
474 Moody St
Waltham,
MA
US
Euphoria Wellness Studio offers creatively effective exercise classes to fitness neophytes and fanatics alike. Its talented, committed, laziness-eradicating staff lead group sessions that build muscles, confidence, and confident muscles that shout encouraging catch phrases during workouts. Browse the class schedule and choose from courses including the body-bolstering boot camp, which is as challenging as military boot camp but without the hassle of drills such as the chained picnic table toss or the covered-in-honey beehive smash. Dance-fitness Zumba workouts use salsa, merengue, and reggaeton music to startle long-dormant choreography instincts into dictating your body’s cardio-centric dance routine, while boxing boot camp teaches gloved-punch basics for lethargy fighters of any experience level.
481 Main Street
Waltham,
MA
US
Aaron Mateychuk, head brewer at Watch City Brewing Company, makes playful twists to time-tested beer styles, earning his pub accolades and press mentions including a three-year streak of awards at the Great International Beer Festival. The stolid Titan ale is a balanced American brown ale, and the vivid Hops Explosion IPA employs a backbone of malt to keep a covey of hops in check. A posse of seasonal beers allows the brewer to keep experimenting by crafting citrusy summer ales to match cascades of sunshine and autumnal pumpkin brews the deep red-brown of changing leaves. Mateychuk also tracks down various strains of European yeast to create limited-run series, which in the past have included abbey-style Belgian beers and German-style lagers.
Inside the bright brewpub, servers carry upscale pub fare to a wall of wooden booths and benches exactly like those used in professional sitting competitions. Surrounded by vintage beer posters and paintings, patrons dine on pulled-pork tacos, housemade crab cakes, and reubens on pretzel rolls. The kitchen integrates beer into dishes such as the IPA-infused lamb burger and a deep-fried burger wrapped in beer batter and topped with chipotle-lime mayo.
256 Moody St
Waltham,
MA
US
Eight ball in the corner pocket. A pool player announcing this at The Wave Sports Pub could be talking about any of the 124 corner pockets on the bar's 31 Brunswick Gold Crown tables. These share space in the pub with ping-pong tables, dartboards, and large, flat-screen HD televisions that broadcast sports ranging from football and college basketball to races between dads to find the TV clickers buried in their couches.
Games can be scored to the dulcet tones of local bands performing, music from a digital satellite jukebox. During karaoke every Thursday–Saturday, guests belt tunes from more than 10,000 songs that are updated every month. In the middle of all that entertainment, bartenders supply beer by the bottle and tap while the culinary team crafts classic pub food such as fried-shrimp baskets, Angus beef sliders, and mozzarella sticks.
411 Waverley Oaks Rd
Waltham,
MA
US
Influenced by dance trends from Europe to Latin America, the staff at SuperShag Dance Studios splits its time between three Boston-area spaces filled with dancing poles, yoga mats, and custom sound systems. Founder Chris Johnston—who won several amateur Latin dance championships as a kid in Ireland and was named a World Class adjudicator by the National Dance Council of America—carefully amassed his talented troupe of teachers from dance schools around the world and from Fred Astaire’s botched attempts to clone himself. During private and group lessons, they spice up Latin-, ballroom-, and pole-dance numbers with an urban twist heavily influenced by British Dancesport, and ready students for competitions.
406 Moody St
Waltham,
MA
US
Soft live jazz music fills B Street Restaurant & Bar while servers deliver platters such as pumpkin hummus with grilled naan, wild mushroom ravioli, and glasses of rosé sangria from the full bar. This confluence of cuisine, libations, and music has attracted the attention of Metro magazine. Proprietor and host Elli "Ellen" Kaplansky, credits her grandmothers for instilling in her a passion for food. She fuses this passion with her work experiences with celebrity chefs Todd English and Jody Adams when she chooses her menu of signature dishes such as the 10-ounce char-grilled burger with Vermont cheddar and skillet potatoes.
She also adds inventive twists to entrees such as the pan-seared local cod entree with fire-roasted tomatoes and fresh corn risotto, or the fire-grilled lamb chops with a balsamic cherry glaze. The dining area's cozy booths, tall tables, and a curved bar in tones of brown, orange, and red add warmth to the atmosphere, and the restaurant adds warmth to the community by reaching out to partner with local charities both financially and with a poker stick that stretches several city blocks.
796 Beacon St
Newton,
MA
US
